Main Entry:

meta-

Variant(s):

or met-

Function:

prefix

Etymology:

New Latin & Medieval Latin, from Latin or Greek; Latin, from Greek, among, with, after, from meta among, with, after; akin to Old English mid, mith with, Old High German mit

1 a: occurring later than or in succession to : after <metestrus> b: situated behind or beyond <metencephalon> <metacarpus> c: later or more highly organized or specialized form of <metaxylem>2: change : transformation <metaplasia>3 [metaphysics] : more comprehensive : transcending <metapsychological> —usually used with the name of a discipline to designate a new but related discipline designed to deal critically with the original one <metamathematics>4 a: involving substitution at or characterized by two positions in the benzene ring that are separated by one carbon atom <meta-xylene> b: derived from by loss of water <metaphosphoric acid>